Every form of life that has evolved on our planet has —at some point— required protection. The rattlesnake shakes its specialized tail as an audible warning to stay away, protecting both itself from its predators as well as its predators from the snake’s venomous bite. The deer hides from the mountain lion in the protective cover of tall grasses. The skunk releases its strong, offensive odor to drive away its attackers. From the smallest viruses to the largest reptiles and mammals, everything alive is susceptible to some form of harm, making protection a basic necessity for all life.
Many religions have employed prayers and other observances in order to procure the blessing of a higher power for the purposes of obtaining protection. Praying to Jesus to help avoid the temptations of the Devil is one example of this, as is the Christian practice of invoking Archangel Michael. The Buddhist practice of Paritta is another and involves the ritual recitation of sacred verses for warding off evil and other harmful influences.
In magic we strive to fulfill our mundane needs in a magical way. Using herbs, stones, bones, or other curio (along with prayer, energy work, and intention) we attempt to conjure forth the hidden spiritual properties within those items to create an environment that will protect us from whatever harmful influences we may encounter.
In terms of a magical theme, we may employ a few different methods to achieve protection. I have identified three main approaches or themes that can be summed up in the three visual symbols used in the title of this article: The Eye, The Flame, and the Shield.
1943 Mercury dime [Wikimedia Commons, public domain]
The Shield is the most straightforward of the themes, representing that which blocks or deflects attack. Shielding magic often involves setting up a field of influence around the intended person, which deflects or absorbs negative or harmful influences. Another visual key for this type of working might be a wall or a rampart. The basic premise is the same: keep the unwanted out!
One type of shield magic employed by American folk magic comes in the form of the Winged Liberty Head dime, most commonly called a “Mercury dime”. Minted from 1916 until 1945, this coin provided conjure workers with a relatively easy to come by source of silver, a metal with highly magical properties. In addition to its attributions to money and healing work, the dime was often worn as a personal protective talisman. It was said to turn black in the presence of dark magic, perhaps based on the observance of silver tarnishes in the presence of sulphur, which happens to be a common ingredient in cursing or jinxing powders. In addition to the magical color change, it was also said that the string holding it would break in the presence of the attacking energy, thus “taking a hit” for the wearer and providing a sort of magical early warning system.
Another traditional example would be laying lines of Red Brick Dust. Poured across doors and windowpanes it is said that no evil can cross it and some even go as far as to pour it in an unbroken circle around the whole of a property if the intention is to provide protection for a physical location. Many Pagans employ salt in the same way and indeed in Conjure salt is used in much this manner as well. Black Salt is a nice choice for certain workings if only because it feels more “sorcerial”. Railroad spikes can also be anointed with a protection oil and driven into the four corners of a property in order to protect it. This is especially done to protect from foreclosure or eviction.
European tradition offers us a particular form of protection spell: the Witch Bottle. A Witch Bottle is a type of container spell (more on those in a later lesson) that is used as a sort of “magical decoy”; drawing the negative energies that would normally find their way to you and redirecting them to become trapped in the bottle. Traditionally, a Witch Bottle would contain objects that are considered “nasty” or “gross”.
While older forms of American folk magic did not have access to the gem trade that flourishes today, as modern practitioners we can certainly take advantage of it in our workings. Black tourmaline is one stone in particular that is renowned in New Age and Pagan circles as being particularly powerful protective properties. This stone protects by way of absorption; it attracts the negative or “evil” influences into itself where they become trapped and neutralized. Sometimes one of these stones might break during its use. This is again “taking the hit” and as such a cleansing and additional protective work is usually called for.
Elemental Fire – a lick of flame dances above a brazier [courtesy Bill Rhodes]
Continuing with our themes, the Flame refers to a more offensive type of protection, invoking the phrase, “a good offense is the best defense.” The element of fire is often employed in magical workings to “heat things up”, as well as to add an ingredient of forcefulness —as well as speed— to the spell. Herbs such as cinnamon and red pepper are considered “hot” and so are added to a spell to draw on the essence of fire. Fire’s destructive powers are widely known, and this type of destructive energy can be put to constructive use as part of a protection spell. Candle magic done for protective purposes might employ the method of using the flame to overwhelm, repel, or purify any incoming attacks. We find this employed to varying degrees in traditional Conjure and Hoodoo in blends such as “Fiery Wall of Protection”. Walls of fire are most often visualized blazing around the person requiring protection and are represented in the working by several candles burning around a central candle or figure; the light of the flames holding back the darkness, and the heat destroying and transforming all that would pass through.
Finally, the Eye represents a type of magic that is geared toward increasing one’s perception, making us more aware of potential dangers so that we might be better equipped to avoid or otherwise address them. The Modern Conjure blend named “Watchful Eye of Protection” is a good example of this approach, as it uses herbs that are aligned to the purpose of “opening one’s eyes” so that a clearer picture can be seen. This blend contains anise, an herb long associated with both the eyes and with protection. In a diluted form it is used as a healing wash for the eyes and is also burned or carried to protect against “the Evil Eye” and to ward off nightmares. This herb has also been associated with spirits, especially ancestral spirits, and so using it in a protection blend also conjures forth the presence of one’s personal ancestors in order to bolster our defenses, as well as to help increase our own “sight”, or awareness of the situation. A ‘watchful eye’ can be the very thing needed in order to protect oneself from harm. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Star anise [Ajale, Pixabay]
What follows is an original spell that incorporates all three themes into one. A little bit of prevention, a little bit of cure, a little bit of kick-ass all rolled into one. Enjoy!
The Eye, the Flame, and the Shield Spell
Items needed:
- 9 black taper or “household” candles + holders
- 1 white glass-encased “7 Day” Devotional candle
- a sheet of parchment paper or blank, unlined paper (optional)
- a permanent marker
- Watchful Eye of Protection Oil (or an oil with anise)
- Cinnamon powder
- Red pepper flakes
Begin by preparing the white candle. This represents yourself, or the person being protected. Using the permanent marker, draw a sigil or write their name on the candle glass above which draw a symbol of an open eye. You may embellish this as much or as little as you wish, keeping in mind that the more attention you focus on it increases the power. Alternatively, you may create a petition paper to dress, fold, and place beneath the candle. Either way, dress this candle with the Watchful Eye of Protection oil and place in the center of your altar.
On each of the black candles carve the symbol of the open eye and then dress with Watchful Eye of Protection oil. Next, roll them away from yourself through the dried red pepper flakes and cinnamon powder and arrange them in their holders so that they form a protective circle around the central white candle.
Light the white candle with the prayer:
Candle burning strong and bright
Sharpen and make clear [my/their/name of person’s] sight.
Surround [me/them] with divine protection
All evil conquered by deflection.
Sprinkle the cinnamon powder in an unbroken circle around all of the candles. Next, light the nine black candles while repeating:
Around <name of person> now a ring of flame!
Burning bright and burning hot
All evil burned to ashen dust
All shades dispelled, [my/their] sight be clear.
You may wish to end this with a recitation of an appropriate Psalm (such as Psalm 91) or another prayer of your choosing. Allow the candles to burn all the way down. The black will burn down in several hours, while the white will take several days. Remember to read the wax drippings as well as the candle glass once they are completed.
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For those interested in learning more about conjure and American Folk Magic, please visit our Modern Conjure page on Modern Witch University.
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